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Justice News

Baton Rouge Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of Firearms

United States Attorney Brandon J. Fremin announced today that, LESTER DESMOULIN, age 31, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pled guilty to one count of possession of firearms by a convicted felon. As a result of his conviction, DESMOULIN faces a significant term of imprisonment, fine, and a period of supervised release.

In the hearing before Chief U.S. District Judge Shelly D. Dick, DESMOULIN pled guilty to possession of a Glock 9mm semiautomatic pistol after having been convicted of three felony offenses between 2006 and 2016. His prior offenses include aggravated assault with a firearm and possession of controlled substances on two separate occasions, with all three resulting in felony convictions in the 19th Judicial District Court for the Parish of East Baton Rouge.

During the plea hearing DESMOULIN admitted that on July 31, 2017, defendant’s friend, Terrance Thornton, had hidden a Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol at a private residence in Baton Rouge just prior to being arrested that day. Shortly after his arrest, Thornton contacted DESMOULIN via a jail call and directed DESMOULIN to go to the residence where he had earlier hidden the pistol and retrieve it. DESMOULIN then went to the residence in Baton Rouge and took possession of the Glock pistol. Thornton had previously pled guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and, on October 10, 2018, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles to serve 10 years in federal prison.

U.S. Attorney Fremin stated, “The investigation of this offense, which involved a collective effort by several of our Violent Crime Strike Force partners, and the resulting conviction of DESMOULIN, highlights our effort to pursue offenders who have previously committed serious crimes and continue to engage in such conduct. Our collective efforts also reflect our continuing commitment to keep our community safe.”

“ATF, along with our state, local, and federal partners, will continue to focus our efforts on the disruption of violent crime in our community through the arrest and prosecution of Lester DESMOULIN and other violent criminals just like him”’ said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols. “Keeping our communities safe is a priority for all of law enforcement.”

This matter is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Baton Rouge Police Department, with substantial assistance from the Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory and Fugitive Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul L. Pugliese.